To wipe a Rust server, stop the server, back up its current data, remove or replace the map and save data (or change the world seed/size), then start it again. That creates a map wipe: buildings, inventories, and the procedural world reset, while learned blueprints remain. A blueprint wipe is a separate operation that also removes players’ learned blueprints, and a forced wipe is Facepunch’s monthly reset that applies to every server when the game update requires a new map.
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Choose the right kind of wipe first
“Wipe” can mean three different resets. Decide which one you intend before touching files, because deleting the wrong data can remove months of blueprint progress or leave the old world in place.
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| Wipe type | What resets | What players keep | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Map wipe | Buildings, deployed objects, inventories, and the procedural map/seed | Learned blueprints | Server owner or administrator |
| Blueprint wipe | Everything in a map wipe, plus learned blueprints and research progress | Nothing from the previous progression | Facepunch for official forced wipes; private-server owner may choose a schedule |
| Forced wipe | A new map for all servers as part of a Facepunch update; buildings, inventories, and the old seed disappear | Usually blueprints unless Facepunch explicitly announces a blueprint wipe | Facepunch’s update schedule |
A normal scheduled wipe is therefore a map wipe unless you deliberately remove blueprint data as well. Make that distinction prominent in your announcement so players know whether their workbench research will survive.
Prepare the server before deleting anything
Tell players exactly what will happen
Announce the wipe type, the planned UTC time, whether blueprints will survive, and when the server will be unavailable. Give players enough notice to move or spend items they do not want to lose, while making clear that inventories will not carry through a map wipe.
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Stop writes and make a restorable backup
Shut the server down cleanly before changing files. A running process can rewrite the old save while you are deleting it, producing a partial reset or a corrupt world. Copy the complete server data for the instance, including its configuration and save directory, to storage outside the live server. Label the backup with the date, wipe type, map seed, and server identity. Do not overwrite your only backup with a post-wipe copy.
Confirm you are editing the correct instance
Hosts commonly run several Rust instances on one machine. Check the instance name, port, server identity, and panel entry before removing data. A wipe performed in the wrong directory can reset another community’s world while leaving the intended server untouched.
Decide whether the seed or world size will change
Deleting the existing map and save data is the direct method. Alternatively, change server.seed and/or server.worldsize in the instance’s startup configuration and restart. A different seed or world size forces generation of a new procedural map. Record the new values in your announcement so players can see that the reset was intentional.
How to perform a manual map wipe
The exact folder names differ between a self-hosted installation and a game-hosting panel, but the operation is the same: remove the instance’s map and save data while preserving the configuration and files that are not part of world progression.
- Schedule downtime. Set a maintenance window and stop the Rust server from its service manager, panel, or launch script. Wait until the process has exited.
- Back up the instance. Copy the current map/save directory and configuration to a dated backup location. Verify that the copy can be opened and is not an empty folder.
- Locate the live map and save data. Use the path shown by your host or launch configuration. The relevant data belongs to this server identity, not to another Rust instance on the same machine.
- Remove only map-generation and world-save data. Delete or move the map and save files identified by your host’s documentation. Moving them into the dated backup folder is safer than permanently deleting them.
- Optionally set a new seed or size. Edit
server.seedorserver.worldsizein the startup parameters if you want a known map layout or a different map scale. Changing neither is still a valid wipe when the old map/save data has been removed. - Leave blueprint data in place. For a map-only wipe, do not remove the separate blueprint/progression data. Deleting it changes the operation into a blueprint wipe.
- Start the server and watch generation. The first boot can take longer while a new procedural map is created. Follow the console output until the server reports that it is ready for players.
- Verify before reopening. Join as an administrator, check that the map is new, confirm that no old structures or inventories exist, and verify that a test account’s learned blueprints remain. Only then announce that the server is live.
If you changed the seed or world size but retained the old save files, the server may continue loading the previous world. In that case, stop it again, move the old map/save data out of the live directory, confirm the startup values, and restart.
How to perform a blueprint wipe
A blueprint wipe includes the entire map reset and removes learned blueprints. Use it only when your community has agreed to a full progression restart or when an official update requires it.
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- Complete the map-wipe preparation and backup steps above.
- Identify the blueprint or research data for the same server identity. Its location and filename depend on how the server is installed.
- Move that blueprint data into a dated backup rather than deleting it immediately. This gives you a recovery option if you discover that the wrong instance was selected.
- Start the server and test with an account that previously had research. The account should no longer know the old blueprints.
- Tell players explicitly that every blueprint must be researched again; do not describe this as a map-only wipe.
Do not assume that a quarterly blueprint calendar is authoritative. Facepunch has not committed to a fixed monthly blueprint-wipe schedule. In a Facepunch news post titled “Pivot Or Die”, the studio wrote, “today, we’re wiping all Blueprints, wiping all servers, and drastically reducing tech tree and research costs,” while also saying it was not committing to force-wiping blueprints every month. Another community update described a December 2 update with a forced blueprint wipe and said such wipes should be rare. Private servers can set their own blueprint schedule.
Use a hosting panel’s scheduled-wipe feature
Some game hosts provide a scheduled-wipe control instead of requiring direct file access. Labels differ, but the workflow generally follows this sequence:
- Open the Rust instance in the host’s control panel and find the scheduled-wipe, world-reset, or wipe-settings page.
- Select the wipe type. Choose a map/world reset for a map wipe; select a blueprint option only if you intend to clear research as well.
- Enter the date and time, checking the panel’s timezone. Prefer UTC in your public announcement to avoid daylight-saving mistakes.
- Save the schedule and confirm that it is attached to the correct server instance.
- If the panel supports pre-wipe announcements, schedule a console chat message shortly before shutdown. Use the command syntax documented by that host; command names are not universal across panels.
- Ensure the panel will stop, remove or regenerate the world data, and restart the same instance. If it only schedules a restart, it will not wipe anything by itself.
- After the scheduled event, join the server and perform the same map, inventory, and blueprint checks used for a manual wipe.
A panel reduces file-handling work but adds configuration risk: a wrong timezone, wrong instance, or restart-only schedule can produce a wipe at the wrong moment or no wipe at all. Keep an independent backup and a written maintenance plan even when the panel advertises automation.
When is the next Rust forced wipe in 2026?
Third-party wipe trackers currently report Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 19:00 UTC (about 2 p.m. Eastern Time) as the next forced wipe. They list Thursday, October 1, 2026 as the previous forced wipe, followed by Thursday, December 3, 2026 and Thursday, January 7, 2027. November 5 falls on the first Thursday of the month, matching the commonly observed pattern.
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|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2026 | Most recent forced wipe | Not stated in the available listing |
| November 5, 2026 | Next reported forced wipe; medium confidence because it is not an official Facepunch announcement | 19:00 UTC (about 2 p.m. ET) |
| December 3, 2026 | Later projected date | Not stated in the available listing |
| January 7, 2027 | Later projected date | Not stated in the available listing |
These dates come from third-party trackers, not a confirmed 2026 Facepunch schedule. Before planning a tournament, paid event, or long maintenance window, check the latest announcement on Facepunch’s Rust news page and the Steam patch notes. A forced wipe can change the map even if your own scheduled-wipe task is disabled.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How often should a private server wipe?
There is no single schedule that fits every community. Guides commonly describe weekly or biweekly map wipes between monthly forced wipes, with blueprints retained until Facepunch announces a blueprint reset. That cadence is a community practice, not a Facepunch rule.
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- Weekly: suits competitive servers where a short season is the point; it gives builders little time to develop large projects.
- Every two weeks: offers a middle ground for active populations that want regular fresh starts without a seven-day grind.
- Monthly or forced-wipe only: preserves long-term projects and is less disruptive for casual players, but late-season population can decline.
- Event-driven: use a manual reset after a major exploit, corrupted save, or rules change rather than waiting for the calendar.
Publish the cadence in the server description and Discord or website, then repeat it in the in-game warning before each reset. Treat blueprint wipes as a separate, exceptional event unless your community has explicitly chosen otherwise.
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What to check after the wipe
- The server is running the intended map seed and world size.
- Old bases, deployables, sleeping bags, and inventories are absent.
- Blueprints are still present after a map-only wipe, or absent after an intentional blueprint wipe.
- Plugins, permissions, kits, and moderation settings still load.
- The server appears in the browser with the expected name, map information, player limit, and wipe time.
- A normal player can connect, spawn, gather resources, craft, and reconnect after a restart.
- The console shows no repeated save, permission, or plugin errors.
Troubleshooting common wipe failures
The old map is still there
The server probably loaded a different save path or the old files were not removed. Stop the process, confirm the instance identity and startup path, move the remaining map/save data out of the live directory, and start again. Check the console for the path it actually opened.
The map changed but blueprints disappeared
Blueprint data was removed or the server started with a new identity. Restore the blueprint backup only after stopping the server, then verify that the identity and progression path match the pre-wipe instance. If the loss was intentional, update the announcement so players are not surprised.
The server will not start after the wipe
Restore the backup to return the instance to a known-good state, then inspect configuration syntax, permissions, disk space, and plugin loading. A world-size change can increase generation time; allow the process to finish before assuming it is frozen.
Players connect to the wrong world or cannot connect
Check that the panel restarted the intended port and instance, and that the server listing refreshed. Have an administrator connect locally first. If the old world appears only to some players, restart the server and clear any stale scheduled task or duplicate instance using the same port.
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The scheduled wipe ran at the wrong time
Compare the panel timezone with the UTC time in your announcement, including daylight-saving changes. Disable duplicate schedules, set one authoritative task, and test the next run with a non-destructive notification if the panel supports it.
A safe operating checklist
- Choose map-only or blueprint wipe and write it down.
- Convert the maintenance window to UTC and announce it.
- Stop the correct server instance cleanly.
- Create and verify a dated backup.
- Move the correct map/save data out of the live path.
- Change
server.seedorserver.worldsizeonly when desired. - Preserve blueprint data for a map-only wipe.
- Start, monitor generation, and test as an administrator.
- Open the server to players only after the checks pass.
- Keep the backup until the community has confirmed that the new world and progression are correct.
Bottom line
A reliable Rust wipe is a controlled replacement of one server instance’s world data, not simply a restart. Back up first, remove only the files that match your chosen wipe type, restart the correct instance, and verify the result before players return. Plan around November 5, 2026 at 19:00 UTC only as a medium-confidence third-party estimate; confirm the date through Facepunch before treating it as official.
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